SOWING CIRCLE a PUBLICATION of the BIBLE SOCIETY of INDIA Volume 36 Number 2 (Jul - Dec 2020)
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SOWING CIRCLE A PUBLICATION OF THE BIBLE SOCIETY OF INDIA Volume 36 Number 2 (Jul - Dec 2020) Isaiah 9:6 Registered Oce: “LOGOS”, # 206, M.G. Road Bangalore-560 001 INDIA Phone: +91-80-41124714, 80-42214715 Fax: +91-80-25584701 Email: [email protected] Web: www.bsind.org William Carey Centre: # 16, Hall Road, Richards Town, Bangalore-560 005 Phone: +91-80-25474918, 25494790 Fax: +91-80-25494788 e Executive Committee Members of e Bible Society of India:- President e Most Rev. Dr. P. C. Singh Vice-President Dr. (Mrs) P. Leela Bose Treasurer Rev. Premkumar Soans General Secretary Rev. Dr. M. Mani Chacko Members Rev. Dr. H. Vanlalauva Rev. J. Sundara Raj Rev. Dr. P. N. S. Chandra Bose Rev. Hotokhu Zhimomi Mr. Vatsal Jamindar Mr. Suresh Carol Jacob Rev. M. Prabhuraj e Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar oma Metropolitan Mr. Biswarup Mandal Mrs. Renuka Tudu Bishop. Subodh C. Mondal Rev. Dr. Bijaya Kumar Pattnaik e Rt. Rev. Basil Balea Baskey Mrs. Bakordor W. Bannett Rev. T. Devaputhiran Rev. Dr. Sanjay A. Paul 2 | Sowing Circle | Jan - Mar 2020 In partnership with the Central Methodist Church in India, we were able to provide dry ration to the daily labour worker who lost her job due to Pandemic Contents Message from the General Secretary - 5 Exclusive -20 Editorial - 9 --Annual Planning Workshop - 2020 Contact Information - 10 International - 26 Cover Story - 11 - BSI In-house virtual Meeting News & Events - 28 Focus - 14 Obituary - 51 -Scripture Engagement with Social Transformation -Presenting Bible -Bible Night -Mary Jones’ Kitchen Garden Tribute - 18 -Dr Joseph Mar oma Metropolitan Jul - Dec 2020 | Sowing Circle | 3 Ms. LahunNongsiej feeling e Word of God in Braille 4 | Sowing Circle | Jul - Dec 2020 What a privilege it is for all of us to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. One of the famous Christmas carols which has become world known and sung during Christmas is the carol “What Child is is?” ere is a beautiful and inspiring story behind this carol to recollect during this season of Christmas. William Chatterton Dix (1837-1898) was born in Bristol, England. His father, a surgeon, had written a biography of the poet, omas Chatterton, which accounts for the middle name that he gave his son. It also reveals the aection for poetry, which the father passed on to his son. As a young man, William moved to Glasgow, Scotland, where he pursued a career managing a marine insurance company (a company that insured ships and related interests). However, his true passion was poetry. | Jul - Dec 2020 | Sowing Circle | 5 Dix fell seriously ill, and was conned to his bed for an extended period. He underwent a true spiritual crisis during this illness, and spent much time in prayer and the reading of Christian literature. He came through the crisis as a true man of faith, and devoted much of his later poetry to Christian themes. He wrote a number of hymns, at least three of which have survived to this day, the other two being As with Gladness, Men of Old and Alleluia! Sing to Jesus. What Child Is is? was derived from a longer poem, e Manger Song. It was rst published in 1865 in Britain, and quickly became popular in the United States as well. e song begins in the manger with the child sleeping on Mary’s lap, accompanied by angels and shepherds. But the second verse asks why he would be lying in such e third verse moves to a joyful tone, mean estate. It goes on to speak of Jesus’ asking us to bring Jesus incense and gold purpose to plead for the salvation of sinners and myrrh. e reason is simple. e King and alludes to the nails and the cross that he of kings has come to bring us salvation, so will face as a man. we should respond joyfully in his honor. Greensleeves, the tune associated with this carol, is a traditional English tune that preceded What Child Is is? by at least a century probably more. It began as a love song, and may have been used with popular drinking songs. Today we hear it sung both as a love song and as a sacred song. “Greensleeves” was written in a minor key, which gives it a sad feel in the rst two lines. However, while the key remains minor, the last two lines take on an enthusiastic, joyful character that contrasts nicely with the earlier lines. Dix died in Cheddar, Somerset, England in 1898 and was buried in the church cemetery there. What Child is this? e question, using Critical eological Imagination, one of the principles of Biblical Interpretation I use in my study of the Bible can be viewed dierently with dierent but unique connotations. 6 | Sowing Circle | Jan - Mar 2020 First, the question could be viewed merely him with anthems sweet. at is the kind as a question of rhetoric. What child is this? of arrival we expected. Heavenly hosts sing. Really? It is Jesus, of course. We all know e heavens are alight with song. But even that even the kids know that. What one does here there is a glimpse of the unexpected. not understand is that questions are not just e angels sing to shepherds. at is odd. for solving problems and requesting new Angels, yes but shepherds? Shouldn’t there information. Sometimes questions make a be dignitaries, especially from among the point. We call those “rhetorical questions.” regal and religious establishment of the Other times the form of a question expresses Jews, who have purportedly long awaited awe and wonder about something we know the coming of their Christ? Shouldn’t to be true, but nd almost too good to be shepherds take a number behind the king true. It’s too good to simply say it directly and his court, the priests and the scribes, like we say everything else. and the Jerusalem elite? When the disciples found themselves in e unexpected is there in the rst stanza, a great windstorm, with waves breaking but it is the second where things get into the boat, and Jesus calmed the storm, especially peculiar. Why does the newborn they said to one another, “Who then is lie “in such mean estate” in the very place this, that even the wind and the sea obey where “ox and ass are feeding”? Why a him?” (Mark 4:41). ey knew the answer stable? Why this place of poverty? Why not from Scripture. Only God himself can still a palace, but the lowest of all structures? the seas (Psalm 65:7; 89:9; 107:29); this, somehow, must be God. But it was too ird, the question beckons us beyond wonderful just to say. is new revelation lowly Bethlehem to a life of even greater of Jesus’ glory was too stupendous to keep lowliness. And not static lowliness, but quiet, and too remarkable not to say it in increasing lowliness. Here at Christmas we some fresh way. God himself had become celebrate that Jesus, “though he was in the man and was in the boat with them. Who form of God, did not count equality with then is this? God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, It is in a similar vein that we say at Christmas, being born in the likeness of men . .” “What child is this?” We know the answer. (Philippians 2:6–7). But why? Why this It has been plainly revealed. And it is almost surprising appearance among us? To simply too wonderful to be true. God himself show us it can be done? Surely this is more has become human in this baby, and has than a stunt. Why has he come? What is he come to rescue us. e eternal Word has here to accomplish? become esh and dwells among us (John 1:14). It is clear and certain. We must say Christmas commemorates more than his it straightforwardly and with courage. And birth. It also presses us forward in his story, it is tting that at times, like Christmas, beyond the lowliness of the manger to a life we wonder, we marvel, we declare in awe, of lowly sacrice with no place to lay his “What child is this?” head (Luke 9:58) and nally to the ultimate lowliness, an odious public execution, Second, what prompts this question of awe, condemned unjustly as a criminal: “. and is not only that God has become human, being found in human form, he humbled but that he has come among us in this way himself by becoming obedient to the point in this surprising poverty. e rst stanza of death, even death on a cross” gives us the glory we expect: Angels greet (Philippians 2:8). Jul - Dec 2020 | Sowing Circle | 7 Some may suspect we are souring the Of the increase of his government and of brightness and joy of Christmas when we peace there will be no end, on the throne sing, “Nails, spears shall pierce him through of David and over his kingdom, to establish . .” Can’t we leave that for Good Friday? it and uphold it with justice and with But the Word-made-esh, coming without righteousness from this time forever and a cross in view, is no good news. e light forevermore…. Born in Jerusalem, Israel, and joy of Christmas are hollow at best, and he was said to have found his calling as a even horrifying, if we sever the link between prophet when he saw a vision in the year of Bethlehem and Golgotha.